Category: Government & Politics
Posted inCity Hall, Government & Politics, Neighborhoods

Complaint Alleges Ethics Violations by Campaign to Recall Engardio

Avatar photo by Zhe Wu

A complaint filed with the San Francisco Ethics Commission accuses the group campaigning to recall District 4 Supervisor Joel Engardio of failing to properly report its spending and disclose funding sources of campaign materials. The commission has not yet indicated whether it is taking any action on the complaint, according to the attorney representing the filer. 

Under local ordinance, the Ethics Commission may not publicly disclose whether it has received a complaint or is conducting an investigation, though filers are notified if their complaint is dropped or sustained. Campaign finance experts said that without further investigation, it’s unclear whether the alleged reporting failures constitute violations.

Posted inCity Hall, Government & Politics

Democratic Club Splits From Engardio Over Great Highway

Avatar photo by Zhe Wu

The Chinese American Democratic Club, one of the city’s oldest political associations for Chinese Americans and a vocal opponent of closing the Upper Great Highway to cars, voted on Thursday to withdraw support of Supervisor Joel Engardio.

The supervisor faces a recall attempt brought by constituents angry over his co-sponsoring last fall’s successful ballot measure to close the highway, which runs along the Pacific shoreline in his district. 

Posted inCalifornia, Government & Politics, Law & Justice

California Supreme Court to Hear Court Reporter Shortage Case

by Viji Sundaram

In a move hailed by legal advocates of low-income litigants, the California Supreme Court last week agreed to hear a case on whether to allow electronic recording in family court hearings.

“We are incredibly grateful the Supreme Court has agreed to consider our case addressing trial courts’ inability to provide a verbatim record of what happens in thousands of court hearings every day, resulting in devastating effects to low-income litigants, including survivors of domestic abuse,” Jennafer Wagner, director of programs at the Family Violence Appellate Project, wrote in an email to the San Francisco Public Press.

Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Community, Government & Politics

Revisiting Conversations With Shaken Ukrainian Diaspora in SF

Avatar photo by Sylvie Sturm

This week marks three years since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the conflict shows no signs of ending. On the eve of this grim anniversary, Russia launched its largest drone attack yet, causing widespread destruction and civilian casualties. Days later, the U.S. voted against a U.N. resolution calling for Russia’s withdrawal. In this episode of “Civic,” […]

Posted inCommunity, Government & Politics

Tesla Becomes Lightning Rod for Political Protests

Avatar photo by Jason Winshell

Hundreds of people descended on San Francisco’s Tesla dealership Monday to peacefully protest recent actions by President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk to downsize the federal workforce under the auspices of the Department of Government Efficiency, Musk’s extra-governmental organization, aka DOGE.

Protesters expressed outrage on Presidents’ Day over recent mass layoffs of federal workers and Musk’s ongoing efforts to gain access to sensitive taxpayer data. They carried homemade signs bearing slogans such as “government for people not billionaires,” “no one voted for Elon Musk,” “resist the oligarchy,” “I lost my job serving your public lands,” “defund Musk,” “no kings, no tyranny,” and “boycott Tesla.”

Posted inElections, Government & Politics, Neighborhoods, Transportation

It’s Not Just the Great Highway. Some Chinese American Voters Have Felt Unheard for Decades 

Avatar photo by Zhe Wu

Many local officials and media outlets have portrayed Proposition K’s opponents as anti-park and pro-freeway without explaining why or acknowledging the pain that informed some of their positions. Through extensive interviews, the San Francisco Public Press found that many, especially older Chinese American residents, have felt dismissed and sidelined in discussions about transportation and land-use policy for decades.

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